When they meet again
by Spacedunderhead
Summary: Poor Snape! I don't know how he always manages to get himself into one of those tricky situations, never getting appreciation for his hard work either. Well, this is what happens when he and Harry meet again.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 : The prophecy fulfilled

Voldemort was dead, lying at Harry's feet, his snakelike features barely less frightening than when he was alive. As he stood there, watching the body of his enemy and trying to take in the full meaning of the situation, Harry became slowly aware again of the battle still raging yards away on Hogwarts grounds. Nobody knew yet... He was torn between the desire to join the fighters, to make sure that Ginny was alive and whole, and the desire to understand. The cup, the snake, Ravenclaw's dagger, he kept repeating himself with a feeling of dizziness, that's only three of them, he can't be gone, the locket's missing. He'd messed up, he hadn't found the locket in time, he'd had to face Voldemort too soon, but there it was, there was no sigh of life in Voldemort anymore. Harry didn't dare move from the spot or avert his eyes lest something should happen while he was away, lest some bit of Voldemort's soul had survived, and then it would all happen over again he thought in despair, then it would all have been in vain.

But he couldn't stay there for ever, not while the others were fighting, maybe hurt, maybe dead. He turned round and began to run, dodging jets of light and looking everywhere for Ginny as he went, but she was nowhere to be seen. Bodies were scattered on the ground but there was no sign of the flaming red hair in the dim foggy dusk light, and Harry kept running...

Was it sudden inspiration, or had he really heard voices he didn't know, but as he drew level with Hagrid's cabin he stopped abruptly and strained his ears to listen. In spite of the shouts and surrounding noises of the battle, he recognised the hated voice immediately. Snape was there. Hiding inside perhaps, the coward. So, Harry hadn't finished his job this night. A murderer still had to pay.

Harry walked round the corner of the cabin and saw that the door was open. Cautiously but determined, weighing his chances against the wizard he now hated more than he had ever hated Lord Voldemort himself perhaps, he peered through one of the dirty windows into the dimly lit cabin.

His heart missed a beat.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 : Harry's mistake

Ginny was lying on Hagrid's large wooden table, she looked unnaturally white. Snape was standing beside the table, his wand raised, muttering.

Harry was at the door before he'd even realised it, Snape was disarmed and Harry didn't even remember saying the incantation. Snape's mouth was forming words, urgently, but no sound was reaching Harry's ears. Now. His hand was not shaking and it took him only a second to take aim. _Now_. He'd done it.

The killing curse had not been necessary against Voldemort, but now he'd used it, for maybe the first and the last time in his whole life. It was right. It was good. Progressively he could feel the air enter his lungs again, noises could be heard outside, things came back into focus. Ginny's hand twitched unexpectedly. His heart gave a leap in his chest.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 : The shadow of a doubt

"Ginny ?" He seized her hand, it felt cold as ice in his. "I thought you were dead!" His voice was somewhat higher than usual.

Ginny blinked. " Harry? Ron... Do something!" she pleaded.

Ron was there? Harry looked around and saw him lying in a corner of the cabin. He let go of Ginny's hand reluctantly and went near him with a feeling of apprehension, trying to avoid the sight of Snape's body, slumped on the dusty floor. Ron's face was turned against the wall but at least Harry could hear his painful breathing. He kneeled down and bent over him. He recognised with a shock the bloody wounds only one curse could have possibly left on Ron's chest and livid face. He had lost a lot of blood, but the wounds were healing. How many wizards knew Sectumsempra, and how many the countercurse? This just didn't make sense...

"Harry?"

"He'll be all right" he said quietly. "Ginny, what happened?"

"A Deatheater cast this curse at him..."

"Snape?", Harry interrupted sharply.

"No, not him. He had blood all over him, I brought him here, I didn't know what to do to stop it. I was watching him die and I couldn't do anything!"

She'd never sounded so shaken, so terrified. Ginny, so blazing, so brave. He stood up, came near and took her in his arms. The noises seemed to be intensifying outside, there were shouts of panic. Did they know now?

"And then?"

"It went cold and dark inside of me..."

"Dementors."

"Dementors", she gasped. "I didn't have the strength to fight anymore. They kissed me, I think they kissed me!", she shrieked.

"No, they didn't", Harry said firmly, afraid that she was losing her mind. "They can't have".

"It was like death. Death must be like this".

"It's o..."

He didn't finish his sentence. It was clear that the battle was taking a different turn outside. "Go! Go!" shouted someone just outside the cabin. "He's dead! I'm telling you he's dead!"

"I almost forgot to tell you." Ginny stared at Harry. "Voldemort's dead, Ginny. It _is _over."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 : Of the usefulness of spiders

The mere news of their master's death had apparently spread a wave of panic among the Deatheaters and had been enough to scatter them. Some had fled and some had surrendered, and Hogwarts was safe and free again.

Ron, along with other wizards, had been taken to St Mungo's, where he was recovering fast from the Sectumsempra curse. Ginny wasa still shaken but otherwise unscathed, and Harry preferred to wait before asking her about the events in Hagrid's cabin.

The wizarding community was preparing to celebrate again Voldemort's defeat, and was claiming the right to see and acclaim the hero of the day, but Lupin and Mad-Eye had somehow managed to take Harry to the Burrow and away from the crowd of inquisitive journalists. Hermione was there, too. Harry had done his best to avoid her all the time but :

"Harry", she asked him in her blunt and matter-of-fact way as soon as she could corner him in the kitchen, "what about the locket? I mean it's all wonderful news and I don't want to be a killjoy or anything but..."

"Look, Hermione, don't you think I've been asking myself the same question since yesterday? But you've _seen_ him dead just as I have, haven't you?"

"Yes, but Harry, I was wondering, maybe Dumbledore was wrong, maybe there were only six Horcruxes altogether and ..."

"I don't want to discuss it right now, you see."

"This isn't all" she insisted, "Ron's wounds, you haven't told me yet..."

"_Not_ right now. Besides, I'd like to enjoy a few peaceful moments with Ginny, if you don't mind!"

Her nostrils flared.

"All right! I'm going to pay Ron a call at the hospital, then". And she disappeared on the spot, which Harry thought a little abrupt, even coming from Hermione. The door cracked open and Ginny appeared through it.

"Harry? What are you doing here?"

Rather than answering, he suggested a walk through the garden and she accepted with joy. He could see that her mood was improving and he asked her at last the question he'd been both apprehending and burning to ask her.

"Ginny, you haven't told me how you got rid of those Dementors, there weren't any when I entered Hagrid's place."

She shook her head. "I can't tell you. It was all dark and cold and empty inside me and suddenly there was light, blinding light, and then I lost conscience I think, I only remember opening my eyes and you were there."

"Can't you remember the form of the Patronus, or who had cast it?"

She shook her head again. "Well it was both big and thin, like going in all directions at the same time."

"Sort of a ... spider or something ?"

She hesitated ."Maybe, could have been. You should ask Lupin or Mad-Eye, mum's invited them for dinner tonight. They'll know the Patronuses of everybody who's in the Order." Seeing that he looked rather preoccupied she added : "But let's not think about it right now. Please."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 : The unbelievable truth

It was a cheerful dinner and many toasts were drunk in Harry's honour that evening, which means that everybody was in high spirits even before the end of the meal. Mad-Eye was telling stories from the preceding war, tales of battles and fierce duels which everyone heard with chills and thrills and sips of an excellent mead Horace Slughorn had offered Harry, with a sigh, for the occasion. A returned and convalescing Ron was busy digesting the memorable helpings Mrs Weasley, who believed in the healing qualities of food, had taken care of administering him. Hermione kept frowning slightly each time he put his hand to his mouth with a sick look, but said nothing. Tonks' hair and robes were pink again, and she was hugging Lupin so tightly Harry thought she was only matched by Fleur, who was clutching Bill as if she wanted her already very round belly to explode. Lupin's joy and happiness was genuine, but could not erase the sad lines and melancholy shadows a lonely life of wandering had printed on his face for ever.

At last Tonks went away with Mrs Weasley to discuss matters involving, Harry knew it, white robes and white-winged cupids. Harry sat down beside Lupin and asked quietly :

"Sir, I was wondering if you could tell me something".

Lupin smiled encouragingly.

"Well, if you want to know the precise number of guests or how you should be dressed for the ceremony, I'm afraid I can't help you there, Harry".

Harry grinned and shook his head.

"No, actually, it wasn't about that. It was about Snape."

"Ah, Snape."

"Yes. I'd like to know what his Patronus was."

"What a curious question", Lupin said with an inquiring look. "Well, it was a spider."

Harry's heart sank in his chest.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Mad-Eye used to say, behind his back you know, what a perfect Patronus for Snape. Waiting and weaving in the dark, and that one day, he would end up squashed under somebody's foot" he added with a faint smile.

Harry couldn't bring himself to say anything. So, Snape had saved his girl-friend, and Snape had saved his best friend. This just didn't make sense. Snape had shown his true colours by killing Dumbledore, why should he have done such a thing? Lupin must have noticed the troubled look on Harry's face, for he said :

"You did what you had to do, Harry. And, by the way. When his body was taken away from the cabin, we found this in his pocket."

He took something wrapped in a bit of cloth out of his own pocket.

"We checked it, there's no dark magic in it, yet there's something intriguing about it, and I wanted to have your opinion." He unwrapped it but Harry had somehow guessed already what he was going to see : the locket he'd been looking for the whole year.


End file.
